CASINOS WITHOUT 
LICENSE

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Whats is a Casino without license?

Casinos without license or unlicensed casinos are terms that European players use for online gambling sites that don’t have a license from Scandinavian, Dutch or German gambling authorities. To attract players from the above mentioned countries, some operators choose to get licensed by the respective countries while others just remain without it. In Scandinavia, such operators are known as ‘casinon uden licens,’ and in Germany they are called "Casino ohne deutsche lizenz", which means ‘casinos without a license.’

A casino without a license is a reference to an online casino that has a license from Malta or Curacao.

Contrary to popular belief, such gambling sites hold license(s) from foreign regulator such as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and Curacao e-Gaming. With these license the casinos guarantee payout, ensure fair play and adhere to international standards of online gambling. However, such casinos are not allowed to advertise in or attract players from Germany, Holland or Scandinavia. On the other hand, players from these countries can sign up and play real money games without any legal restriction.

It's fully legal to play at a casino without a license if you are from Holland, Germany or Scandinavia

Why are unlicensed online casinos popular?

There is no lack of casinos online if you are a player from Europe. However, the rules are rather strict and options during play are not player-pleasing. Unlicensed casinos might not have a Nordic license, which could worry players from this region. But, the fact is they are equally valid with reputed licenses from foreign authorities including the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and Curaçao e-Gaming. The advantage is such casinos do not restrict users as tightly as the Nordic operators. Their bonuses are better and self-exclusion programs like ROFUS lenient.

Now, players gamble online for two reasons - fun and quick money. But, what is fun if limited and what is quick money if restricted?

Enter casinos without a license

Above all, these regulators are strict about issuing licenses to operators. An applicant has to undergo thorough scrutiny to get into the iGaming market. It has to be competent, credible and responsible to keep its license. If it fails to meet the requirements, its license is either cancelled or never renewed.

For this reason, players from Europe are always excited about playing at casinos without a license. The advantages are more and restrictions less. For players who want more details about such casinos before trying the gaming experience, this website contains everything they need to know.

We specialize in the subject and give you the latest updates regarding gaming companies without a Nordic license. Find the latest news, detailed casino reviews, accurate information about banking options such as Trustly and in-depth articles regarding account verification using BankID or NemID. Above all, we offer a comprehensive list of unlicensed casinos that are reliable, safe and give out the best bonuses.‍

5 best unlicensed casinos

Which is the best casino without a license? If you have this question in mind, the answer lies in the list we provided. However, we understand different players have different preferences. Some are perhaps looking for mega welcome bonuses while others need a massive game range.

Yet others might prefer an MGA license to a Curaçao, an e-wallet casino over crypto, or even focus on the quality of customer support. To each his own. For this reason, we’ve sorted the 5 top unlicensed online casinos according to what’s best in them.

Check out our casinos reviews

For each casino without a license which we list, we write detailed reviews that take into account every bit of information a player needs to know. It includes bonuses and promotional offers, range of games, payment methods, customer support, mobile compatibility and the overall gaming experience offered by the casino in question.

We only list casinos that are licensed by reputed gambling authorities like the MGA, UKGC and Curaçao e-Gaming. Furthermore, this list includes only those casinos that have been true to their license and guarantee payout to players. Each review is regularly updated so whenever a bonus is changed and games added you will always find the information in it.

Can players legally play at an unlicensed casino?

There is no legal restriction on Nordic, German and Dutch players who want to play at unlicensed casinos. Although such casinos cannot advertise their products and services in these countries, players can still access them, open an account and play real money casino games.

Because the respective governments of these countries wouldn’t allow deposits and withdrawals in the local currency, the casinos support global payment methods such as Skrill and Neteller to enable hassle-free monetary transactions.

What are the advantages?

There are several advantages of playing at online casinos that are unlicensed in the Nordics but come with other global licenses. The prime benefits include the following:

• More and better bonuses
• Loyalty and VIP programs
• No restrictions on spin intervals
• More game options from top providers
• No national self-exclusion program

More and better bonuses

In most licensed casinos, bonuses are limited to one per person from each operator. In reality, this is just the welcome bonus offered to first-time players. For this reason, it is advantageous for players to choose a casino without a license to bypass such restrictions. Unlicensed casinos usually offer lucrative bonuses that are profitable and come without limits. 

Loyalty and VIP programs

Attractive VIP and loyalty programs are also something you can expect only of unlicensed casinos. These operators reward returning and consistent players for being loyal to the brand. Their VIP programs usually mean you get a personal account manager with whom you can contact directly and enjoy perks which regular players don’t receive. VIP rewards include cash, opportunities to travel to exotic destinations, tickets to global events, and other freebies such as gadgets and gizmos.

No restrictions on spin intervals

If you love playing slots, there’s every possibility you could easily lose interest in a casino with licenses. For instance,  casinos are bound by law to place a 3 seconds interval between every two spins. In our opinion, a player should be able to spin without pausing, if he wishes. Thankfully, this is something that does not exist in casinos with MGA or Curacao license.

More game options from top providers

Variety is the spice of online gambling. Players should be allowed access to a wide range of casino games including slots, table games, live dealer games and more. It is not that licensed online casinos do not offer variety. But, the range is often limited because not all major providers are available.

Unlicensed casinos, however, do not have this drawback. They have games from the biggest to the smallest players, including NetEnt, Microgaming, Big Time Gaming, Yggdrasil Gaming, Thunderkick, Merkur Gaming and more.

No national self-exclusion program

There are no national self-exclusion programs at casinos without license. These self-exclusion programs must exist at casinos with license in Germany, Holland and Scandinavia and are applied to online gamblers in the respective countries. A national self-exclusion program spans all the casinos that are locally registered. It means if you exclude yourself from gambling, you can’t access any casino website with a Nordic, German or Dutch license , whatsoever.

Additionally, you can’t terminate the program before time. If you have chosen to restrict yourself for a month, you will be able to access all local casinos only after the period is over. The shutdown can neither be reverted nor changed. You can’t even register with a new account or fly under the radar.

It isn’t a problem at casinos with licenses from the MGA or Curaçao e-Gaming. The Malta Gaming Authority has a unified self-exclusion program under which players can limit their activities on individual casinos. So, if you’ve suspended yourself from casino A, you can always play at casino B. Similar is the case with the UKGC where players can opt to exclude themselves under the self-exclusion scheme called GamStop.

The self-exclusion program for Curaçao casinos, too, is casino-specific, because Curaçao e-Gaming itself has not registered on GamStop. Also, even if you exclude yourself from all the casinos under the MGA, you can still play at casinos licensed by the UKGC and Curaçao e-Gaming. The same is true when you exclude yourself from all the casinos under the UKGC or Curaçao e-Gaming.

Is there any disadvantage?

There are always two sides to a coin. Unlicensed casinos come with the following disadvantages:

Tax on winnings

A profit tax might be applicable on your winnings from an unlicensed casino. This is applicable for casinos with Curacao or UKGC license, if you play at a MGA licensed casinos then the winnings are tax free.

Outside the Nordic laws

You must keep in mind that online casinos without a license are outside the legal boundaries of all the countries in the region. You cannot turn to these Government authorities if a dispute arises.

Absence of local language support

As required by national laws, a foreign casino cannot advertise its products and services in the local language. It cannot facilitate monetary transactions in the local currency or interact with customers in the official languages of these countries. Therefore, players would need to familiarize themselves with the English language. They must also resort to e-wallets or cryptocurrency (in case of Curacao casinos) for payment.

Why don’t operators get licenses?

Most unlicensed gambling operators have chosen not to apply for a  license. Although some did apply, they had to face rejection. The most common reason for ditching the license is the associated high costs and puny profits. Foreign licenses are more affordable and easy to acquire.

Reputed foreign gaming authorities

The most popular gaming authorities for casinos without a license are the following:

• The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
• The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
• Curaçao e-Gaming

About the MGA

The Malta Gaming Authority is a gaming authority located on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The majority of all casinos have a license issued by the MGA, which is the largest gaming authority in the industry.

About the UKGC

The UK Gambling Commission is also one of the most reputed and strictest gaming authorities in the world. This regulatory body is for casinos operating in the UK. Some casinos choose to have both an MGA license and a UKGC license to entertain a wider target group of players.

About Curaçao e-Gaming

This regulatory body is located in the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao and is one of the oldest licensing authorities in the world. A license from Curaçao e-Gaming is easy to acquire and covers all gambling activities including slots, table games, lotteries, sports betting, virtual sports and more.

Popular payment methods at casinos without a license

These are the payment methods you are likely to find at unlicensed casinos:

• VISA
• Mastercard
• Instant Banking
• Neteller
• Skrill
• Paysafecard
• Euteller
• Zimpler
• Qiwi
• Neosurf
• EcoPayz
• AstroPay
• UPayCard
• Siru Mobile
• Trustly
• PayPal

The choice of payment methods would vary depending on the licenser of the online casino you choose. For instance, players from the UK are not allowed to use credit cards while gambling online. So, a UKGC-licensed casino might not support those methods.

By the same token, if you want to play with cryptocurrencies, Curaçao casinos could be your best bet. Yet again, Trustly is an online payment processor popular with players from Scandinavia. However, not all foreign casinos support this banking method. You would find Trustly as a payment method usually in MGA or Curaçao online casinos.

Another banking method is DirektBank or Instant Banking, which works much like Trustly and is slowly rising in popularity. Watch this space for casinos that support Instant Banking / DirektBank.